2025 Honda Ridgeline

Pros 

• The pickup should have a smooth ride and be easy to drive. 
• A big trunk that can be locked inside the bed and a flexible two-way door. 
• The crew cab offers ample space.

Cons 

• It doesn’t have the low-range gears or underbody space that most trucks do. 
• Sensitive driver tools could be distracting. 
• Not as much towing power as the top competitors.

How do you feel about driving the Ridgeline? If you want a car that doesn’t drive like a truck, the Honda Ridgeline is a great pick. You can drive over objects without much trouble because it is very agile and turns well, thanks to its tight steering. The Ridgeline SUV-like unibody frame really shines in this case. 

The V6 engine in a Honda is better than the turbocharged four-cylinder engines in its more modern rivals. The Ridgeline TrailSport takes 7.0 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph, which is pretty fast for a midsize car. However, the gearbox can be a little slow when you try to shift down. 

The TrailSport version of the Ridgeline gives it some off-road ability. All-terrain tires, an off-road suspension, and a cover for the oil pan under the body have been added. However, TrailSport doesn’t have real off-road tire articulation or low-range ratios, which lets other 4WD pickups handle rougher terrain.

What level of relaxation does the Ridgeline offer? Surprisingly, for a car, the Ridgeline is very comfy. Road bumps don’t bother it at all. Long trips are comfortable thanks to the thin but firm padding in the front seats. Side supports that work well keep drivers with smaller frames from sliding around, and the seats are big enough to fit bigger people. 

The house is quiet and doesn’t shake much. The V6, which you can hear when you press the gas, is different. It’s surprisingly loud and full of life. The range is different because it has a three-zone automatic climate control system that heats and cools the inside more effectively than others.

How is the inside? The Ridgeline is fun for both the driver and the passengers. With doors that open wide and lots of headroom, it’s easy to get in and out and find a good driving position. Also, for a truck, the living space for people is big. 

From the driver’s seat, you can see well, and the squared-off hood makes it easier to see the front of the car. Through the large back window, you can see everything inside the truck and the cars behind you.

How does the tech work? The 9-inch touchscreen in the Ridgeline looks smaller than the ones in the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger. It’s easy to use, which is good. It comes standard with wireless communication and smartphone connection, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The sound in the Ridgeline is very bad, and people have to move the settings toward the back of the car in order to hear the music. 

Newer cars come with many cool features that help the driver, like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and forward accident prevention. Some methods would rate higher in this area if they were less sensitive. The adaptive cruise is also limited in what it can do because it can only work at speeds over 20 mph. It’s possible to stop most other services when traffic is slow.

How are the moving and storing going? It’s the only bed in its class that can fit four-foot-wide sheets of plywood without the sheets having to be stacked on top of the wheel wells. The volume of 1,583 pounds is good for this trim level. Large items like stones or logs can be moved with that much power. Two bikes can also fit in the bed. It still has a unique two-way tailgate that opens either sideways or down and the great locking in-bed trunk. 

When everything is in order, the towing ability is 5,000 pounds. Five thousand pounds is a good amount, even though some cars can pull more. Regardless, if you plan to move a lot, you should consider getting a full-size car. 

Inside, the Ridgeline does better than its competitors. It might be hard to have too much stuff with all the small storage spaces, the big bin in the center console, and the wide, flat storage area under the back seats. It’s easy to put child safety seats in the Ridgeline because the back seat is big.

How much fuel does it use? The Ridgeline fights mostly with four-cylinder turbocharged vehicles, even though it has a V6 engine. A test was done on the Ridgeline TrailSport. The EPA says it will get 20 mpg on the highway, which is one mpg less than the other Ridgeline types. In real life, our test Ridgeline got about 20 mpg on average. Based on this result, the EPA numbers should be correct.

Does the Ridgeline’s price seem fair? A Ridgeline is a great deal for the money. There are a lot of tools that help the driver, even in the base Sport trim level. For example, the car can connect to your smartphone and have automatic climate control for three different zones. The top of the Ridgeline range now has prices that aren’t as crazy as they used to be. It also has good build quality and an interior that’s more family-friendly than you’d expect from a truck. 

The Ridgeline’s warranty is pretty standard. It covers simple things like roadside assistance for three years and 30,000 miles and the powertrain for five years and 60,000 miles.

If people bought a Ridgeline because they needed one more than they wanted one, they would always be happy with it. When it comes to how much fun it is to drive, the Ridgeline can be seen in two ways. You might be let down that it can’t climb rocks like a Gladiator Rubicon, especially if you get the TrailSport trim. It’s much more fun to drive every day because it has the best handling and driving in its class, but it can also handle some light dirt work. We go with the second option. 

The Ridgeline has many good points, but compared to other midsize trucks, its cabin looks old. We can’t wait to see what Honda has in store for the next generation.

We think that buying the Black Edition is a good idea. The Black Edition of the Ridgeline costs a little more than the other price levels because it has more expensive features, such as ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, and a better sound system. But since you have no other choice, you should pick a black inside.